This is the second time that the Nui Bay Member Club has been raided – the first was in February.
On that occasion a bar on the beach was ordered demolished and a staff member found with a gun was arrested.
Local people had complained that if they tried to get to the beach without paying the B500 entry fee demanded by club staff, they were threatened.
After that raid the NorSor3 paper for the land – in the name of Chalothorn “Boy” Chotpanang – was checked and was found to be based illegally on a “Flying SorKor1”, a basic land occupation paper that had been issued for an entirely different piece of land.
The land next to Nui Beach, it was discovered, was actually government land with a SorPorKor paper, which is issued on degraded forest. The holder of a SorPorKor paper may only farm the land, and may not sell or lease it out. It may not be built upon.
The raiders were also surprised to find a Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) excavator higher up, apparently being used to build a road down to the beach. Questions will be asked about that. Two OrBorJor employees were found at the road site.
The illegal NorSor3 on which the Haad Nui Member Club is located will be canceled and the club buildings on it must be knocked down by the owner in 45 days. If he does not knock them down, the Karon Municipality will do so and send him the bill.
Vice-Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Naval Area said, “The buildings are illegal. This is wrong. They must come down.
“The ALRO will compile a full report for me and we will follow Government policy [to reclaim encroached-on public land].”